About

Facts about our pregnancy:

• We are having a miracle baby. After trying to get pregnant for 11 years, going through lots of infertility treatments, and finally giving up on having a biological child, my husband and I started the adoption process in September 2003. 1 week before finishing our home study and getting on the waiting list, we found out that I was pregnant. It happened on Christmas Day.

• I have been getting an awesome care. I have had 5 Ultrasounds so far, and everything seems to be fine. (166 lbs)

• I felt the first movements on week 18 day 1.

• We got good news on April 2: my amnio came back with good results, and we know for sure that it is a girl. We are not planning to share the name until the birth, we should have at least one thing that is a surprise.

• I am 19 weeks today (April 5), and I saw baby’s kicks this morning. We even played. She was kicking on my left side, but after pressing a few times on my right side she moved there! What a wonderful feeling! Also, my rash is disappearing thanks to Benadryl.

• Yesterday (April 9) Mark felt the baby’s kick for the first time. He was very excited about it.

• Our baby girl was very active yesterday (April 12), she kept kicking all morning long. I bought a Bebe fetal heart monitor, and we were able to hear her kicks, but not the heartbeat yet.

• April 18 – Baby girl decided to show me that she can be active at night too. She had not been moving at all at night, but tonight she would not stop kicking for about 20 minutes. I kept turning and finding new positions for her, but she had her mind set on exercising. It was kind of fun.

• April 20-May 6 – I spent a couple of weeks in Hungary with my family. The 22 hour long trip there and back was very tiring, but I survived them. During my stay there my parents felt baby moving, heard her heart beat, and my feet got swollen. I had a great time visiting.

• May 7 – We had our closing on the new house, and we stayed in it for the night.

• May 8- May 16 – Our move took a whole week since I could not help much. Baby has been very active, and loves listening to music. I can hardly wait to settle in and start reading to her as well. I’ve brought many books from Hungary, and Mark can read English ones to her.

• May 10 – 24 week check up: everything seemed fine, I measured ust under 24 weeks. (182 lbs)

• June 3 – I had my 1-hour glucose test which I had failed (155)

• June 7 – 28 week check up: everything is fine except for the sugar level. (189 lbs)

• June 9 – I did my 3-hour glucose test. I was very uncomfortable; cold and hungry. Haven’t heard the results yet. baby has developed a pattern: Tuesday-Thursday very active, the rest of the days resting more. We either read to her every night or listen to music. She likes both.

• June 11 – I heard back from the doctor and I DID pass my 3-hour glucose test!!!! I am sooooo happy!

• June 12 – We went to a 3D/4D Ultrasound place and took a good look at our little one. She did move around a lot, but she would not move her arm out of her face. We will go back in 2 weeks and hope that we can get a good face shot of her.

• June 16 – I felt baby’s hick-ups for the first time.

• June 20 – It’s Farther’s Day, and Mark got a little present from our daughter (to-be).

• June 21 – I had my 30 week check up today. This was the first time I had no questions at all to ask from my OB. Usually I show up with a list. I measured exactly 30 weeks, and everything else was fine too. I reached the 25 pound gain (192 lbs), but I still should be fine. We talked about choosing a pediatrician and I also told her how much I loved being pregnant. It was the shortest visit ever. I also had a chance to record our dauther’s heart beat.

• June 23 – We met a pediatrician. He looked nice and knowledgeable, and his office is less than 10 minutes from home.

• June 25 – We went back to the 3D US place, but our baby still did not want to show her face. She was cute though, because we saw her play with her unbilical cord, she also was pulling up her legs with her hands, and she yawned and smiled once.

• June 29 – Last weekend we worked a lot in our daughter-to-be’s nursery. Today I finally finished the Roman shades as well. So the only one thing that I still need to do is a few stencils on the wall. We really like the nursery, hopefully she will too.

• July 1 – We returned to the 3D US place for the last time. We had decided that if she is still not showing much of her in 3D, we would ask the technician to just record her movements in 2D. Baby girl was in the same head down position as the previous week, her head on the right side of my belly button. She had her head tilted so her head looked very distorted. We tried for another 5 minutes but we could not get a good shot of her. So the technician decided to switch to 2D. When she put the US probe back on my belly our girl’s head wasn’t there anymore. After a search we found her head on the left side of my belly button and her body became breech. I did not even feel her huge movement. She actually changed her position 2 more times while we were there; once her head went just above my belly button, lastly 1.5 inches below it to the right. 4 huge position changes in about 20 minutes that I did not even feel. I wonder what she does when I actually feel her moving ?
  Anyway, at one point the technician switched back to 3D and our baby decided to show a little bit more of her. We saw some huge movements, her arms, fingers, legs, toes, an ear, and a few yawns. This was the funniest part: she had one of her arms wrapped around her neck and the fingers were poking out on the other side grabbing the back of her neck . As the technician was explaining us what we were seeing both her and Mark realized that I was lying exactly in the same position! I know it’s not true but it’s kind of fun to say that she is already copying me.

• July 6 – I had my 32nd week check up; everything was fine, I measured to 32 weeks and I had gained 2 pounds. (194) She was breech.

• July 10 – I’m starting to feel different kicks from baby. These feel more like little legs, the previous ones were more like larger bodyparts. Most kicks I feel up high, near my stomach. Today we packed most of the items we will need to take to the hospital.

• July 19 – had my 34th week check up; everything was fine. I had gained 2 pounds (196), baby’s heart beat was 130 (she was resting), my BP was OK too. My doctor could not feel where baby’s head was, she’ll try it again at my 36th week visit. If she still cannot feel it, we’ll do an US.

• July 24 – We went to Mark’s offices 20 year celebration (picnic). It was held in the mountains. We decided to pack the hospital bags just in case, since we were over 8300 feet elevation. Luckily, we did not need to use them yet.

• August 2 – At my 36th week check up I heard only good news; gained 2 pounds (198), heart beatb 133, blood pressure 110/70, and I measured to 36 weeks. I also had my first scheduled internal and the Strep B test. My OB was able to feel baby’s head, although it was still high up. I was 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced. My doctor checked on baby’s position with a handheld US as well; I saw her head, bottoms, and legs.

• August 9 – I had my 37th week appointment today. I had gained 1 pound (199), measured to 37 weeks, my BP was 118/60, heart rate 155. I was still 1 cm dilated. After the appointment I had a haircut and highlights.

• August 10 – In the morning I felt some very sharp pain way low. I also experienced less movement. The pain felt like kicking or maybe elbowing.

• August 13 – I decided to call the doctor’s office about the pain I had been experiencing and the lack of movement. The nurse practicioner called me in (my OB is on vacation this week). The US showed us that baby made a weird turn: her head was in my right side, her back was sticking out just left of my belly button, and her legs were facing down. This is why I felt the sharp kicks. The non-stress test showed that baby’s heart rate was perfect.

• August 16 – At my 38th week appointment I learned that if my water broke baby’s umbilical cord could come out with it since neither her head or buttocks would act as a “plug”. They scheduled me for baby turn for Tuesday morning. If everything goes well we’ll just come home and hope that she does not turn back. If there are any complications they will do a C-section. Mark and I hope that we can still come home and wait until my due date. (199 lbs, 120/80 BP, 130 heartbeat)

• August 17 – The turning of baby went well. It only took a few minutes to spin her head down and it did not hurt much. The IV hurt more . After the turning baby’s heart beat was monitored, and there were no problems. After a half an hour I was able to eat. As soon as I was done baby’s heart beat got very quiet. With the US we learned that baby moved again on her own; now her head was in my left side, her buttock facing down, and feet in my right side. Since her feet were not down anymore it was safe to come home. In the afternoon I felt similar kicks to when her feet were down, but we’ll see what I feel in the morning. There is a picture of me in the hospital on the Belly Shots page.

August 25 – Nora Isabella N. was born 37 minutes after midnight. Read Nora’s birth story.